Martial arts training device

ABSTRACT

A martial arts training device includes a target for attachment to a punching bag. The target is a hollow shell containing a filler material. The shell is fixed to a strap that includes a mechanism for securing the strap around a punching bag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a martial arts training device that is a target accessory for attachment to a heavy punching bag used in practicing mixed martial arts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. A common practice has been to practice self defense techniques with a training partner, using either no body contact at all or some degree of contact, but with a range of padding accessories worn by both partners in order to protect both partners against injury. A person involved in MMA may not always have a willing and capable partner available when the person wants to practice. Further, it may be preferable to teach and practice many MMA skills without using a human opponent.

A device that can be used in the teaching and practice of MMA is commonly referred to as a heavy punching bag. Punching bags have been used in martial arts for the entire written history of military training. The design of a punching bag allows it to take repeated and constant physical abuse without breaking. The punching bag must also absorb the impact of blows, without causing harm to the user. There are different types of punching bags, with different names based on their size, use and mounting method. Almost all punching bags are covered with leather or synthetic materials such as vinyl, or even canvas that resist abrasion. A heavy bag is a large cylindrical bag, usually suspended by chains or ropes for practicing powerful body punches and kicks. Heavy bags may be mounted on a weighted pedestal rather than being hung from above, and these heavy bags are referred to as pedestal bags or tower bags. A shortcoming of a heavy punching bag is that there is no target emulating the head of an opponent at which a user can aim punches and kicks. If a target were to be merely painted on the heavy punching bag it would not emulate the experience of contacting the head of an actual opponent. Furthermore a target painted on a heavy punching bag would not be easily adapted to the height of a particular opponent, such a feature would require changing the position of the entire heavy punching bag, which would be time and energy consuming if it could be conveniently done.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided in accordance with the present invention a martial arts training device including a target for attachment to a punching bag, the target comprising a hollow shell containing a filler material, the shell being fixed to a strap that includes a means for securing the strap around a punching bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a target for attachment to a punching bag according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the target of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the target of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is perspective view of the target of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view from the rear showing the target of FIG. 1 assembled with a means for attaching the target to a punching bag.

FIG. 6 is shows the assembly of FIG. 5 attached to a punching bag.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the target of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The figures show a target 10 for attachment to a punching bag 38. The punching bag 38 shown in FIG. 6 is of a type commonly referred to as a heavy punching bag and is shown suspended from a structure (not shown) by at least one suspension member 40. It is understood that the target of the present invention may be used with a heavy punching bag which is a large cylindrical bag, usually suspended by chains or ropes for practicing body punches and kicks. The target of the present invention may also be used with a pedestal bag or tower bag which is a heavy punching bag mounted on a weighted pedestal rather than being hung from above.

FIG. 1 shows a front surface 12 of the shell 13 of a target 10 that is an accessory for attachment to a punching bag to enhance a martial arts training activity. The shell 13 may be made of a suitable polymeric material that is molded, for example in a blow molding process to emulate the size and shapes of the facial features of a human. The shell should be of sufficient strength and resiliency to withstand the powerful blows and kicks that may be delivered to the target when a person is training to participate in a martial arts activity. As shown in FIG. 7, which is a cross section of the target, the shell 13 is hollow and contains a filler material that has at least similar characteristics to a material contained in the heavy punching bag 38. A suitable filler material for disposition inside the shell 13 of the target 10 is sand 42. It is understood that any suitable filler material selected in accordance with good engineering practices may be disposed in the interior volume of the shell of the target including synthetic beads, naturally occurring materials, and synthetic gels. The filler material may be introduced into the interior of the shell via a passage 24 disposed on the back of the shell, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The passage may be sealed in any suitable manner such as a plug, or a suitable adhesive, or a patch covering the passage to retain the filler material inside the shell. It is preferred that the filler material 42 disposed inside the shell occupy only about ninety percent of the volume of the interior of the shell, and that a space 44 comprising about ten percent of the volume of the interior of the shell remain empty. The empty space facilitates deformation of the target when the target is struck or kicked. The volumes of the filler material 42 and empty space 44 can be varied in view of what is used for a filler material, the physical characteristics of the shell, which may vary depending upon the polymer comprising the shell, and even the skill and power of the person using the target in his or her martial arts training regimen.

Referring next to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 there is shown a side view, a rear view, and a perspective view of the target 10 having a front surface 12 and a rear surface 14. The front surface of the target may be provided with features such as a nose 16 and a chin 18 that emulate the profile of a human face. However, it is understood that a device according to the present invention may have a front surface that is an unadorned uninterrupted surface, or is even an uninterrupted surface that is adorned with an image of a human face. It is preferred that the front surface 12 of the target 10 be provided with protrusion and indentations emulating a human face to act as refined targets for a person using the target to train for martial arts activities. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings the rear surface 14 of the target is provided with strap guides 20 that provide passages 22 for receiving a strap 26 used for fixing the target 10 to a punching bag. As shown in this exemplary embodiment the strap guides 20 are molded integral with the shell 13 of the target. However it is understood that a target according to the present invention may have a strap secured to the shell by any suitable means in accordance with good engineering practice including a suitable adhesive, heat staking, riveting and so forth.

Referring next to FIG. 5 there is shown an assembly of the target 10 and a strap 26 used to secure the assembly to a punching bag as shown in FIG. 6. In this exemplary embodiment a strap 26 extends across the rear surface 14 of the target 10 and passes through the passages 22 provided by the strap guides 20. The strap may comprise any suitable material or combination of materials, woven, knitted, extruded and so forth to form the strap. Preferably the strap is provided with gripping and non slip features 28, 30 to restrict movement of the strap and target relative to a punching bag when the target is secured to the punching bag using the strap. In this exemplary embodiment one end of the strap 26 is provided with a female buckle member 32 and the a section of the strap adjacent the other end of the strap is provided with a male buckle member 34. The male buckle member 34 includes a mechanism 36 that allows the effective length of the strap to be adjusted to accommodate punching bags having a variety of circumferences. The buckle mechanism 32, 34, 36 shown in the exemplary embodiment is of a common type where the prongs of the male buckle member are urged towards one another for insertion and removal from the female buckle member. It is understood that the strap may be secured around a punching bag by any suitable securing means selected in accordance with good engineering practices, including any suitable buckle mechanism or any suitable arrangement of hook and loop members.

Referring now to FIG. 6 it may be seen that the strap extends around to punching bag and secures the target to the heavy punching bag by forming the strap into a closed loop that cinches the target to the heavy punching bag while the effective length of the strap is maintained by the buckle device or similar means for securing. The surface 12 of the target that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human is disposed distal from the heavy punching bag 38. The location of the target 10 with respect to the height of the heavy punching bag 38 may be adjusted to present the target emulating the face of a person at a variety of heights. A person using the device that wishes to practice kicks or punches directed to the nose 16 or chin 18 of a potential opponent of a particular height can do so by simply choosing an appropriate location of the target 10 and securing strap 26 on the heavy bag 38.

It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A martial arts training device comprising a target for attachment to a punching bag, the target comprising a hollow shell containing a filler material, the shell being fixed to a strap that includes a means for securing the strap around a punching bag.
 2. The martial arts training device of claim 1 wherein the hollow shell has a first exterior surface that is fixed to the strap and an opposing second exterior surface that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human.
 3. The martial arts training device of claim 1 wherein the hollow shell comprises a polymeric material.
 4. The martial arts training device of claim 2 wherein the hollow shell comprises a polymeric material.
 5. The martial arts training device of claim 1 wherein the filler material located inside the hollow shell comprises sand.
 6. The martial arts training device of claim 3 wherein the filler material located inside the hollow shell comprises sand.
 7. The martial arts training device of claim 4 wherein the filler material located inside the hollow shell comprises sand.
 8. The martial arts training device of claim 1 wherein an interior of the hollow shell has a volume and the filler material located inside the hollow shell does not fill the entire volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 9. The martial arts training device of claim 5 wherein an interior of the hollow shell has a volume and the sand does not fill the entire volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 10. The martial arts training device of claim 6 wherein an interior of the hollow shell has a volume and the sand does not fill the entire volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 11. The martial arts training device of claim 7 wherein an interior of the hollow shell has a volume and the sand does not fill the entire volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 12. The martial arts training device of claim 8 wherein the filler material occupies only about ninety percent of the volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 13. The martial arts training device of claim 11 wherein the sand occupies only about ninety percent of the volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 14. The martial arts training device of claim 1 assembled with a heavy punching bag wherein the strap extends around to punching bag and secures the target to the heavy punching bag by forming the strap into a closed loop that cinches the target to the heavy punching bag.
 14. The martial arts training device of claim 2 assembled with a heavy punching bag wherein the strap extends around to punching bag and secures the target to the heavy punching bag by forming the strap into a closed loop that cinches the target to the heavy punching bag with the second exterior surface that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human disposed distal from the heavy punching bag.
 15. A martial arts training device comprising a target for attachment to a punching bag, the target comprising a hollow polymeric shell containing a filler material, the hollow shell has a first exterior surface that is fixed to a strap that includes a means for securing the strap around a punching bag, the first surface of the hollow polymeric shell provided with strap guides providing passages for receiving the strap, and the hollow shell having an opposing second surface that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human
 16. The martial arts training device of claim 15 wherein an interior of the hollow shell has a volume and the filler material located inside the hollow shell does not fill the entire volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 17. The martial arts training device of claim 16 wherein the filler material occupies only about ninety percent of the volume of the interior of the hollow shell.
 18. The martial arts training device of claim 17 wherein the filler material located inside the hollow shell comprises sand.
 19. The martial arts training device of claim 15 assembled with a heavy punching bag wherein the strap extends around the heavy punching bag and secures the target to the heavy punching bag by forming the strap into a closed loop that cinches the target to the heavy punching bag with the second exterior surface that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human disposed distal from the heavy punching bag.
 20. The martial arts training device of claim 18 assembled with a heavy punching bag wherein the strap extends around the heavy punching bag and secures the target to the heavy punching bag by forming the strap into a closed loop that cinches the target to the heavy punching bag with the second exterior surface that emulates the size and shapes of the facial features of a human disposed distal from the heavy punching bag. 